


no matter how far

by xxprincessxx



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, Long-Distance Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22773823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxprincessxx/pseuds/xxprincessxx
Summary: Ricky and Nini get into a fight while she's at YAC - Ricky can't help himself but drive to Denver to ask for forgiveness
Relationships: Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Comments: 15
Kudos: 145





	no matter how far

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this at 3AM last week, i don't really know if it's any good. but i saw prompt on tumblr for this, so i was a little inspired. 
> 
> hope it was okay, enjoy reading!

“You WHAT?” Nini practically screams through the screen.

Ricky and Nini were fighting over FaceTime, they knew having a long distance relationship was going to be difficult, but Ricky didn’t realize how difficult it could be. Nini accepted the offer at the Youth Actor’s Conservatory, and as its nearing the end of the semester, both of them starting to getting stressed with final projects and exams slowly approaching. The stress mixed in with their fights was not a good combination whatsoever.

“I don’t see the big deal!” Ricky counters back. His argument causing Nini to scoff, he rolls his eyes at her response, “Oh please, if you have an answer, please enlighten me,” he bites at her, sarcasm dripping through his message.

“Fine! If you don’t see a big deal with you giving some girl your phone number, I don’t know how to fucking help you,” she huffs. He sees her through the little screen on his phone, perched against the table, too angry to hold it himself, afraid he might just chuck it across the room.

Ricky was out with Big Red, EJ, Seb and Carlos, earlier that week, deciding to go bowling, a little bit of a de-stressor. He was having a great time, and there were a couple of girls eyeing them from a few lanes over, he hadn’t thought much of it not really caring to be completely honest. One of the girls had walked up to him, and he thought she was fairly nice, they talked for a little while but when she had to go she asked for his number. Ricky hadn’t thought twice about giving it to her. Ricky is friendly to everyone he meets, always open to making new friends, sometimes his friendliness comes back to bite him in the ass. He hadn’t realized she was flirting with him until EJ basically hit him over the head a couple times, reminding him how stupid he is and needs to tell Nini.

“Baby, I didn’t know she was flirting with me, I wouldn’t have given it to her otherwise,” he tries to convince her.

Nini dryly laughs at him, like she doesn’t believe him, “How dense are you? Of course she was trying to flirt with you Ricky! You’re fucking cute, but you are also fucking taken,” she exclaims angrily, he sees her press her hands over her face.

“Do you still want to be with me?” she mumbles behind her hands, not looking at him.

Ricky was completely taken aback, “What? Of course baby, I do, I-”

Taking her hands off her face, he can see the tears pooling in her eyes, “Look, it’s getting late, and I really need to finish this assignment. And I think I just really need to think about some things right now, good night.” Without waiting for his response, she kills the call.

Ricky just about wanted to cry, how could his girlfriend, his best friend, the person he’s known for over a decade, just not believe him when he said that he wanted to be with her. Ricky realized how badly he had fucked up. He should’ve known that girl was trying to flirt with him, he should’ve known that even if it was on friendly matters that it would hurt the girl he loves.

Without thinking, Ricky grabs his phone, opening up Google maps. Eight hours. Eight hours from Salt Lake to Denver. Eight hours between him and Nini. He ponders, he could do it, if he left really early tomorrow, he could probably catch her right when her school finishes at three.

Ricky walks over to his dad’s room, knocking on the door lightly, “Dad, I messed up.”

His dad looks up from his spot on his bed, watching some movie on his laptop. He motions for Ricky to sit down, shutting his laptop to give his son his full attention. “I really messed up with Nini.” He admits, not quite sure if he wanted to relay the story to his dad.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?” he asks.

Ricky not looking up, twisting the ring around his finger, “that’s kind of the reason I came in here for,” he pauses, nervous that his dad will say no, “I’m leaving tomorrow morning, it’s Friday, I’d only be gone the weekend, I promise. I’ll be here for school Monday. Dad, I just, I really need to be with her right now,” looking to watch his dad’s reaction.

Mike nods slowly, understanding his son’s intentions, “Ricky, if I give you permission, you have to be here Sunday night, no later. And, you call me, at every pit stop along the way.” Ricky overwhelmed, he pulls his dad into a hug, “Yes, yes I will, I promise.”

\--

His alarm went off at 4:45. Ricky groans, quickly shutting it off, he slowly opens his eyes, wondering why it was so dark. And then he suddenly remembers, he wanted to leave the house by 5:30 if he wanted to make it there on time.

Pulling himself out of his bed, and gets for ready for his trip. He grabs his weekend bag, quickly running downstairs as he sees his father there waiting for him, “I thought you would need some coffee and snacks to get you at least to the state line,” handing him a travel mug and a bag of food.

Taking it from his hand, “Thanks Dad, I’ll call you when I stop for gas.” Mike smiles down at his son, and ruffles his hair, “Okay kid, now get out of here. Be safe.”

Settling into his car, throwing his bag in the back, taking a sip of his coffee. He connects his phone to the Bluetooth speaker, pulling up the High School Musical soundtrack, needing a little nostalgia for his trip. He pulls out of his driveway, waving to his dad, and suddenly he was off.

Around 7:30, he calls Kourtney, knowing she’ll already be getting ready for school, and he figures at least someone should know that he’s not going to be there today. “Morning Kourt,” he cheers.

He hears her groan through the speakers of his car, “Bowen, why are you so cheery? It’s not even 8AM, I didn’t know you could get up before then.” She laughs at her own joke.

“Oh, I, uh, did you talk to Nini last night by any chance?” he asks. She hums in acknowledgment, “Sounds like you fucked up,” she says, he can hear the disappointment in her voice.

“That I did, so I’m actually, uh, not going to be in school today.” He tells her, hoping she gets the hint.

“Why?” she asks curiously.

Her curiosity caused Ricky to laugh, “Well, actually, I’m passing through Wyoming right now,” he rubs the back of his neck a little shy about admitting what he’s doing.

“You’re not.” Kourtney says accusatorially, finally realizing what his plans are, and where he was headed, “Bowen, you sneaky little son of a bitch.”

He laughs at her vulgarity so early in the morning, she promises to update their friends and to pick up any homework from his teachers. “I got to get going, but keep me updated, drive safe Bowen.” She says, finally hanging up, needing to head out for school.

He sighs, just another 6 more hours, but it’ll be worth it.

-

He finally makes it to Denver, only needing to stop for gas twice, and grabbed a quick lunch. Pulling into the parking lot of the Conservatory, he looks up at the building, this place was fucking huge. It looks like a place straight out of a movie. He quickly shoots Kourtney a text, letting him know he’s just arrived. He hadn’t texted Nini all day, been too busy driving, but she also hasn’t messaged him since she hung up on him last night.

Hearing his phone beep, he looks down, according to Kourtney, Nini was studying in the common room with a few friends from class. He smiled at the phone, quickly thanking his friend, and quickly getting out of his car.

Not really sure where he was going, he probably looked incredibly lost. “Hey, are you lost?” he hears from behind him, he quickly turns around seeing an Asian girl, who was probably half a foot shorter than him. He chuckles, “Uh, yeah, I’m actually looking for the common room.” He tells her.

“Oh, I’m actually headed over there now, if you want to follow me. I’m Jessica, by the way,” as she sticks her hand out for him to shake.

“Ricky.” He introduces, shaking her hand.

He follows her silently, taking in the school, it was incredible, completely different from East High. He knew Nini was amazed by this school when she first got here, and he couldn’t help but picture her, tracing her hand along the stone wall, with bright eyes stunned by everything about this school.

Jessica pushes open the door, “This is the common room, I’m just going to head over to my friends, you can join us if you like.” She smiles politely, pointing to her friends in the back corner.

That’s when Ricky sees her. His beautiful girlfriend, she was engulfed in her favourite sweater of his, surrounded by a few friends who were chattering away around her, as she was focused on her phone. Not quite typing anything, she looked like she was just staring at it, as if hoping something was going to pop up. And he knew why. He hasn’t texted her all day. He nods, following Jessica, but a few paces behind her. Jessica greets her friends, and as Nini looks up she smiles tight lipped at her friend. He can see the sadness in her eyes.

That’s when Nini’s eyes just pass over her friend’s shoulder, she sees him. He watches as her expression goes from sullen to delighted. She quickly stands up running over to him, she jumps up into him, he puts his arms around the tiny brunette as she wraps her legs around his waist. She nuzzles her face into his neck, he feels what he assumes a tear fall onto his neck.

“I’m so sorry baby,” he whispers, kissing the side of her head. She shakes her head into his neck, “No, I’m sorry.” She says, finally taking her face out of his neck, pulling herself up to meet his lips with her own. He kisses back, just as intensely, not being able to kiss her the past few months, he’s just happy to have her back in his arms again.

When they pull away, he gently lowers her to the ground, not letting go of her. His hands resting on her hips, “What are you doing here?” she asks, looking up at him.

“To tell you that I love you and only you Nina Salazar-Roberts, and that I want to be with you.” He tells her, wiping away a few tears falling from her eyes.

She smiles, giggling, “You could’ve done that over the phone.” She tells him.

He shakes his head, “I was too scared you would hang up on me again.” He jokes, lightening the mood, “Plus, I missed you.”

Before Nini could respond, they hear a few throats clearing, causing them to look to Nini’s friends who just watched their entire interaction. “Nini, is this the infamous boyfriend?” one of them asks, smiling at the pair.

Nini takes a hold of Ricky’s pulling him towards her friends, plopping down on the couch, he pulls her tightly into his side, not being able to stop touching his girlfriend. Nini nods. She introduces him to her friends, Caroline, Michael, Jeremiah and he already met Jessica.

Jessica turns to the boy, “I didn’t know you were the famous Ricky Bowen from Salt Lake City.”

“The one and only,” he laughs. “I didn’t know you were friends with my girl,” he jokes, squeezing Nini’s waist looking at her, causing Nini to hide her smile in his shoulder.

They spent the rest of the afternoon with her friends, but retiring early, Nini drags Ricky back to her dorm room. He’s only ever seen it through his screen, he sees her desk and walls littered with photos of him, and her moms, and all their friends from back home.

He pulls Nini onto the bed, cuddling her into his side, “You didn’t let me tell you yesterday. But I do, I want to be with you, don’t ever doubt that,” he tells her, “Nini, you’re forever going to be the greatest love of my life. Because I didn’t know what love was until I realized I fell in love with you.”

Looking up at her boyfriend, she plants a hard kiss on his lips, pulling back she smiles through watery eyes, “I love you.”

“And, I love you.”


End file.
